I had some tenants living in my home whom were responsible for the utilities. They changed it to my name (Reliance said that they didn't care to ask for anything that would verify ID since it was ultimately the homeowner's responsibility) so three years later, I received a phone call by their collection agency. During those 3 years, the bills were being sent to the WRONG address in the WRONG city. The operator dared to ask when I called back after contacting Reliance, 'How did you know to call us if you didn't receive the bills?'
The customer service representatives were unwilling to provide details - kept on saying they couldn't wait and had to move on to the next customer. When I finally spoke with the supervisor, I was able to finally find out some details. Such as the bill having been placed under my name without my consent or action (pretty sure that's fraud). Of course the supervisor did say I could contest it but ultimately it came back to the homeowner is responsible for everything, Reliance doesn't care.
So ultimately I had to pay it (including a late charge) even though I never received a bill and even now, despite their reassurances that I would get a copy of the paper bill and of the actual payment I've now made, I still have nothing to prove that this transaction occurred other than through my visa statement.
In the meantime, I've started canceling my Reliance Home Comfort plans and buying new water heaters and having them installed. If I can't trust the company to have good business practices, why should I take the risk and end up with a bill years later?
